Rendering devices such as printers, for example, often include components that wear with usage and eventually may require replacement. For example, laser printers typically include internal rollers for transporting print media, an electro-photographic drum for transferring toner to the print media, and a fuser for fusing toner to the print media. Such components wear with usage and may need to be replaced, sometimes more than once, during the life of the rendering device. An HFSI is an integral component that can be replaced at the end of life or at the time of premature failure of one or more components. HFSI components enable a variety of machine subsystems to be incorporated into a single unit while maximizing the useful life of each component.
A typical HFSI can be configured from multiple components, each component having an independent HFSI counter. A number of such counters may be each associated with a particular replaceable component so that the HFSI counters can be reset independently. Such counters can be utilized for scheduling replacement of the individual component when the counter associated with the component attains a predetermined threshold value, or when directed to in concert with service documentation. The HFSI needs to be replaced completely when any of the components of the HFSI reach a count indicating the need for replacement.
One of the problems associated with such prior art approaches is that a conservative estimate of life needs to be provided so that the component does not fail before the scheduled replacement date, which means that a certain measure of useful life is being wasted. Such an approach can lead to the failure of certain components being changed when the related components are changed, thereby resulting in extra service calls or poor performance. Additionally, customers and service personnel may find it necessary to scroll through a large component list in order to find related components.
Based on the foregoing, it is believed that a need exists for an improved method and system for managing service intervals for related components associated with a particular device such as, for example, a rendering device. A need also exists for defining a parent/child relationship between high frequency service items.